CHAPTER TWO DEFINITION OF HALAL by DR HASAN AHMAD PBMSK [email protected] INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD 1.2. Definition of Halal, Haram and Shubhah • Halal simply means permitted or lawful. So when we are talking about halal foods it means any foods that are allowed to be eaten according to Islamic Sharia law. • This means that for any food to be considered halal it must comply with the religious ritual and observance of Sharia law. • Kosher meats, which are consumed by Jews, are permitted to be eaten by Muslims.This is due to the similarity between both methods of slaughter and the similar principles of kosher meat which are still observed by the observant Jews today. Exception if no halal is available • If there is absolutely no other halal food available and the Muslim is forced by necessity, then a Muslim is allowed to eat non-halal food. (Source: Wikipedia) INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD What is haram? • The opposite of halal is haram (forbidden). • Food can be forbidden in Islam if it includes: • blood • alcohol • meat or any products from a forbidden animal, including pigs and any carnivorous animals or birds of prey • meat or any products of an animal which has not been slaughtered in the correct manner in the name of Allah • Under Islamic law (sharia) it is permissible (halal) to consume items that would otherwise be termed haram so long as it is a matter of survival and not just an act of disobedience. INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD HARAM FOODS • Foods that are not halal for Muslims to consume as per various Qurʼanic verses are: • Pork • Blood • Intoxicants and alcoholic beverages • Animals killed incorrectly and/or without Allah's name being pronounced before slaughter – Animals slaughtered in the name of anyone but "Allah". All that has been dedicated or offered in sacrifice to an idolatrous altar or saint or a person considered to be "divine" – Carrion (carcasses of dead animals, i.e. animals who died in the wild) – An animal that has been strangled, beaten (to death), killed by a fall, gored (to death), or savaged by a beast of prey (unless finished off by a human) • Quranic verses regarding halal foods include: 2:173, 5:5, and 6:118-119, 121. (source: Wikipedia) and al-Quran INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD SYUBHAH is a food designation( شبه :Mushbooh (Arabic • in Islam. Literally meaning 'doubtful' or 'suspect,' foods are labeled mushbooh when it is unclear whether they are Halal (consumption is permitted) or Haraam (consumption is prohibited). INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD 1.3. THE CLASSIFICATION OF HALAL AND HARAM FOOD IN ISLAM • Halal & Other Islamic Food Classifications • In Islam food are divided into three categories: Halal (permitted or lawful), Haram (prohibited or unlawful) and Makrooh (disapproved). However, not all food can be clearly defined under these categories and these ambiguous products have been categorised as Mashbooh (questionable or doubtful). • Halal (Lawful) • Muslims are allowed to consume only Halal food or drinks i.e. those which are : • 1. Not Haram - not prohibited by the Holy Quran. • 2. Not Makrooh - not designated by Muslim jurisprudents as detestable. • 3. Not Mashbooh - not categorised as questionable or doubtful. INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD • Haram (Prohibited) Haram means prohibited and its judicial equivalent is illegal. In Islamic jurisprudence, Haram stands for items that Muslims should stay away from. Haram food and drinks are explicitly stated in the Quran e.g. flesh of swine, blood, carrion and animals that are slaughtered not in the name of Allah swt. [Al-Baqarah (2), verse 173, Al-Maidah (5), verse 3, Al-An'am (6), verse 145 and Al-Nahl (16), verse 115] Makrooh (Disapproved) Products labelled as makrooh are not prohibited by explicit Quranic verses or Prophetic Traditions (hadiths). However, Muslims are encouraged to avoid consuming such products as these products may or may not have adverse impact on man, his community or the environment. Mashbooh (Doubtful) Mashbooh refers to products or items which are not amenable to straightforward categorization of Halal or Haram. It represents a category of ambiguous products that are neither Halal nor Haram. INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD 1.4. THE IMPORTANCE OF HALAL PRODUCTS FROM ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES • Why the prohibitions (Haram)? Products can be prohibited for different reasons and can be categorised as follows : • Prohibited Per Se Prohibited by explicit Quranic verses without any elucidation of the reasons behind their interdiction. Such products are prohibited for their own sake e.g. flesh of swine, blood, carrion and animals that are slaughtered not in the name of Allah swt. [Al-Baqarah (2), verse 173, Al-Maidah (5), verse 3, Al-An'am (6), verse 145 and Al-Nahl (16), verse 115] (Source: al-Quran) INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD • Prohibited For Potential Harm Prohibited by Quranic verses with explicit elucidation of the reasons behind their interdiction. One such example is alcohol whose harm overshadows its benefits. [Al Baqarah (2), verse 219] Prohibited by Quranic verses for defects that are not inherent but may have been acquired subsequently, e.g. choked or strangled animals. Prohibited for improper handling, e.g. animals that are not slaughtered according to Islamic rules and regulations. INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD • When Halal Becomes Haram Under the category for Prohibited For Potential Harm above, it is apparent from the last two classifications, products that are initially in the Halal status can become Haram. More often than not, this change in status is caused by those handling the products failing to observe the regulations prescribed by Islam or simply due to human error. Muslims, therefore, must be cognizant of the proper procedures relevant to the products being handled. INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD conclusion • Categories of Haram and Syubha food pertaining to Muslim society INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD 1.5. THE IMPACT OF HALAL PRODUCTS • Questions. Discuss the following topics • GLOBAL IMPACT – ASIA – EUROPE – AMERICA – GULF COUNTRIES • REGIONAL IMPACT – ASIAN COUNTRIES • LOCAL IMPACT – MALAYSIAN STATES – LOCAL INDUSTRIES INTRO TO HALAL STUDIES BY DR HASAN AHMAD.